Michael Carrick has Middlesbrough ranking above Chelsea and Liverpool thanks to a major shift he has brought to the club.
Despite never being one of the top clubs in England, Middlesbrough have always had a strong academy.
The youth system in place on Teesside has seen some truly top-class players emerge in the North East over the years.
Stewart Downing is perhaps Middlesbrough’s best academy graduate of all time. He was part of Boro’s most successful period in the 2000s when they won the League Cup and reached the UEFA Cup final.
Downing went on to become a regular starter for the England national team and play for top Premier League sides like Aston Villa and Liverpool.
Following their relegation from the Championship in 2009 though, Boro’s focus shifted away from their academy.
Steve Gibson hired several managers whose focus was fixed solely on promotion and to achieve this, they would rather sign players than develop the young talent already at the club.
Middlesbrough rank above Chelsea and Arsenal in key area
However, after Michael Carrick arrived at the Riverside Stadium in October 2022, he has put a heavy focus on youth players.
The former Manchester United man is not afraid to give young players a chance, whether that be players he has signed or ones that have emerged from the academy.
Now, thanks to Carrick’s trust in the next generation, Middlesbrough rank above the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal in one key area.
CIES Football Observatory have ranked clubs in 58 leagues according to the percentage of minutes played by footballers who had not turned 21 in domestic league matches played over the last three years.
Boro have featured 13 U21 stars during that period, 12 of which were from England and one of which, Rav van den Berg, was signed from abroad.
That total leaves them above Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and more top sides on the Football Observatory list.
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Under Carrick, a plethora of young stars have been given their debut over the last couple of years.
Law McCabe signed a new Middlesbrough contract earlier this year after being handed his senior debut by Carrick at the back end of 2023/24.
The central midfielder is being slowly integrated into the first team and looks set for a bright future in the game.
McCabe could form a long-term partnership in the centre of the park alongside another academy graduate, Redcar-born Hayden Hackney.
Boro’s backline could also be led by several youngsters in the coming years, with summer signing Harley Hunt having already made his debut at 17 and George McCormick being promoted to the senior team ahead of 2024/25.
Sonny Finch joined Milton Milton Keynes Dons on loan last month but he too is expected to be handed a chance by Carrick once he returns to Middlesbrough next year.